Questions tagged [books]

Questions concerning chess literature.

Filter by
Sorted by
Tagged with
2 votes
1 answer
30 views

What would be some great books that clarify the positional concepts of the Queen's Indian Defence from the Black side?

I've been looking for some books that explain how to play the Queen's Indian Defence. These books don't have to be recent or anything.
  • 21
2 votes
1 answer
100 views

What are some good books that explain the strategic ideas behind the Nimzo-Indian Defence, from Black's perspective?

I'm looking for a book, which does not have to be modern at all, that comprehensively explains the strategic ideas of the Nimzo-Indian Defence from Black's perspective.
  • 23
1 vote
0 answers
56 views

Can you suggest book references on chess theory?

as stated in the title I am looking for structured textbooks on chess. I have followed chess.com lessons and I have a rough idea of tactics (forks, pins, skewers, sacrifices, etc) but I feel like I am ...
0 votes
0 answers
37 views

What are some best books for chess? [duplicate]

I started playing chess a month ago.... learned new things like en passant, castling, etc. But opponent players at chess.com say different names like control the center, file checkmate, rank checkmate,...
  • 101
10 votes
1 answer
3k views

Stockfish destroys Daniel Naroditsky's endgame variation (from his book (Mastering Positional Chess))

[FEN "7r/p3k3/2p5/1pPp4/3P4/PP4P1/3P1PB1/2K5 w - - 0 1"] 1. Kd1 Rh2 2. Ke1 Rxg2 3. Kf1 Rh2 4. Kg1 Rh6 5. f3 Re6 6. Kf2 Kf6 7. Kf1 Kf5 8. Kf2 b4 9. a4 Re4 $4 * The position and variation ...
2 votes
1 answer
57 views

Can the games in Chernev's Logical Chess Move by Move be played in any order?

In Chernev's Logical Chess Move by Move, can the chapters and games be absorbed in any order, or are they intended to be played through in order?
  • 461
5 votes
3 answers
126 views

7. ... e6 in Classical Caro-Kann

Where can I find information on the 7. ... e6 variation of classical Caro-Kann, preferrably a book? It was played in the Anand-Carlsen world championship match 2013. [FEN ""] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 ...
  • 461
4 votes
1 answer
182 views

Is it safe to read a chess book whose author's rating is 1319?

I was interested in starting to read David Rudel's book Zuke 'Em-The Colle Zukertort Revolutionized but I found that the author's rating is 1319. Should I avoid reading the book since his rating is ...
  • 8,301
8 votes
4 answers
892 views

Books that explain fundamental chess concepts

I am a recreational chess player, hoping to understand the game a little more by reading chess books. I am looking for books that explain each and every move like Understanding Chess Move By Move by ...
0 votes
3 answers
83 views

Editing (end)-game: how to move few pieces in accordance with a book to follow the solution to a problem

What is the most easy way to follow a dozen of moves from a book ? I would like to edit a particular position and then see what the solution in a book (in my case "100 endgames you must know"...
6 votes
2 answers
973 views

Is Silman's book 'How to Reassess Your Chess: Chess Mastery Through Imbalances' any good?

I don't know if book review is allowed in the site or not, but I am just starting with a position I found pretty confusing in his book. [Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??...
7 votes
1 answer
171 views

What is new in the fifth edition of Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual?

It seems the only change between the fourth and fifth edition (after the author's passing) was a change in color. This surely can't be enough for a new edition, so I wonder what changes to the content ...
  • 461
5 votes
3 answers
300 views

Is Sadler's 2000 book Queen's Gambit Declined focused on white or black?

I'm looking for QGD repertoire book as Black. Would Sadler's Queen's Gambit Declined fulfill this, or is it focused on White?
  • 461
5 votes
1 answer
326 views

Is this a suitable training scheme for my level?

I've been about 1700-1900 Lichess Blitz and 1900-2000 Lichess Rapid for several years, and I'm looking to start some formal chess training (something I've never done before at all.) Currently, I'm ...
1 vote
2 answers
208 views

What are some middle game chess books that are good for beginners? [closed]

What are some great middlegame chess books that are for beginners that will help me to improve my middle game in chess? There aren't a lot of books on the middle game.
4 votes
5 answers
2k views

Recommended books that explain each move

Usually, chess books show moves like this: several-many moves, and then, explanation. Sometimes, however, I don't understand the meaning of some moves. It would be great if there was a book in which ...
  • 159
1 vote
0 answers
123 views

Are there any books on the Reti-Spielmann attack (1. e4 e6 2. g3)?

I tried looking for books on this online but I couldn't find any.
1 vote
1 answer
162 views

What are good books on the Panov-Botvinnik Attack and playing with an IQP?

Respectively, what are good books for the Panov-Botvinnik Attack and playing with an isolated queen pawn?
  • 145
2 votes
2 answers
424 views

What are some good tactics books?

I am looking for books with exercises to improve at tactics. It seems that there are lots of options. My definition of what constitutes a “good” tactics books is variety. Even if the book focuses on a ...
  • 1,060
3 votes
1 answer
136 views

Books on old tournaments

I'm interested in books covering the major chess tournaments between 1880 and 1930, roughly speaking. I would prefer the official tournament books, like this one, but translated in English. Can I buy ...
-5 votes
1 answer
99 views

Is Agasthya Smriti containing the Original Chess Strategy available in public Domain?

Saint Agasthya was the most knowledgeable person of the 8000 yrs ago period. He is credited for: The Martial Arts (Kalari Paytu), Chemical based Medicines specially for Venom treatment, Game of Chess ...
5 votes
2 answers
323 views

Could you recommend me game collection books of attacking players?

I have found a lack of aggression in my style and I want to study aggressive players' games to develop my style. Please recommend books that fulfill this purpose. I am an advanced player.
2 votes
0 answers
54 views

Chess books that don't require a board [duplicate]

I am looking for some chess books suggestions that can be read without the need for a board, so I can read them during my commute time. I am a ~1900 strength player, I can visualize the board, but not ...
  • 960
5 votes
3 answers
193 views

Tiniest readable board and pieces design

Has anyone developed a graphic design format for representing boards within a very tiny amount of space? I'm thinking along the lines of how sparklines were developed to allow a line chart to be ...
2 votes
1 answer
405 views

Resources for learning about the Gurgenidze System of the Caro-Kann as Black

I'm ~1900 rapid on Lichess. As Black, I like to play this defense against 1.e4 (picked up from watching Hikaru's streams): [FEN ""] 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c6 4.Nf3 d5 (4.f4) (4.Be3) Are ...
  • 1,907
7 votes
2 answers
760 views

Description of rectangular opposition in Silman's Complete Endgame Course

In Silman's Complete Endgame Course, the author gives this rule in order to gain the Opposition when there isn't a direct connection in between the kings: In this type of situation, the rule is to ...
  • 1,907
11 votes
1 answer
4k views

Why can white not mate in this position from Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess (frame 73)?

[Event ""] [Site "https://www.apronus.com/chess/wbeditor.php"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "6rk/p5p1/1q2Q3/3p4/6P1/8/2b2PK1/4R3 w - - 0 1"] I'm fairly new to anything ...
5 votes
2 answers
402 views

What is the earliest known appearance "Fool's Mate"?

A quaint question I had lately: what is the earliest known appearance of the “Fool’s Mate”? I refer to both the name and the move sequence. A quick search with Google Books revealed a reference dated ...
1 vote
1 answer
73 views

Reference request: Books/Video series on prophylaxis

I would like to imitate the prophylactic playing style of Aron Nimzowitsch, Tigran Petrosian and/or Anatoly Karpov. May I know if there are any books/video series that you would recommend?
  • 8,301
13 votes
1 answer
1k views

Harry Potter Chess Analysis

So, I've been reading Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone. If you haven't read the book yet, or watched the movie, and you don't want any spoilers, stop reading this question. Continuing, there ...
3 votes
2 answers
3k views

How do you read this opening table presented in Modern Openings?

How do I read this table presented in the book "Modern Openings"? Specifically, what do the rows, columns and the dashed lines represent? Finally, there are also little letters like (a) ...
  • 473
1 vote
0 answers
136 views

First books for ~1300-1400 ELO player [closed]

I decided to buy a few books to start learning chess more deeply. I have decided on a tactics book (chess tactics for champion), a strategy book (mastering chess strategy) and an endgame book (silman'...
  • 165
6 votes
3 answers
696 views

A question about chess literature

I am looking for a chess book written in a very engaging style and thoroughly professional manner. The book should be more along philosophical and psychological lines rather than notations and ...
user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
138 views

Why is Tal talking about 10. Qf7 when 10.... N5f6 is possible?

I am picking from the book "Attack with Mikhail Tal" Chapter 1, pg 6. Tal annotates the steps and his thought process on the Tal-Larsen 1965 match. [FEN ""] 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. ...
  • 267
1 vote
1 answer
180 views

Beginner book that has endgame scenarios

I’ve been looking for free online books on endgame scenarios, since I'm very bad at them. So far, I haven’t gotten any luck. By the way, I only know the pieces moves and some other basic stuff.
  • 45
3 votes
4 answers
2k views

How much do you actually learn from the book Modern Chess Openings by Nick de Firmian?

How much theory does the book actually cover and how far in terms of opening knowledge and building my opening repertoire will memorising every line of the book get me?
  • 423
5 votes
4 answers
1k views

Book recommendation for chess engine building

This might be too broad a question, but can anyone recommend specific books that deal with chess engines, including hard-coded ones such as Stockfish, Komodo, and other ones also based on neural ...
  • 256
5 votes
2 answers
205 views

What chess book or teaching approach is this from my childhood?

When I was little (mid-late 90's) my mom taught me to play chess. She had a book, which looked pretty old at the time (perhaps from the 70s but I could be off by a decade or more). The book outlined ...
  • 173
6 votes
2 answers
872 views

How much should I rely on an external board or diagram when reading a chess book?

I'm currently making my first serious attempt to read a chess book. While I can generally follow and evaluate variations mentally if I can at least see the starting position in some diagram, I ...
18 votes
1 answer
3k views

Stockfish is considering a move in a book by GM Mihail Marin as a blunder

In the book English opening volume 1 by Mihail Marin at this position [fen "3nrrk1/bppq2p1/p4p1p/2Pp4/1P1P3N/P1BQ2P1/5PKP/4RR2 w - - 2 21"] 1. Qg6 (1. Ng6) He suggests Qg6 whereas ...
2 votes
2 answers
263 views

Suggestions about books to read

I am a beginner player and I am studying the game on some classical books: I began with "A primer of chess" by Capablanca. I would like to continue with these 3 books: "Chess ...
  • 131
5 votes
2 answers
291 views

What did R.H.M. stand for?

I have a number of old chess books published by R.H.M. Press. I am curious as to whether "R.H.M." are the initials of something or someone, and if so, what? As I understand it, R.H.M. Press was the ...
3 votes
3 answers
840 views

Which book should one read if they want to play like Tigran Petrosian?

According to Wikipedia, the former world champion Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian has "almost impenetrable defensive playing style, which emphasized safety above all else". Here defensive is by no ...
  • 8,301
5 votes
1 answer
406 views

How to proceed with the book "Pawn Structure Chess" by Andrew Soltis?

Should I memorize everything in the book, or use it in some other way?
  • 2,495
6 votes
1 answer
417 views

How do I know what chess books to buy?

I have a lot of my own chess games in pgn format, Im wondering if there is a tool that examines my games and suggests what books I should buy to improve?
  • 708
4 votes
2 answers
2k views

Good books to learn the Ruy Lopez with

I have a very poor repertoire; with White I only play d4, and though I'm quite familiarized with the possibilities on this opening move, I'm lost regarding 1. e4. Trying to gain flexibility, I want ...
  • 1,244
5 votes
1 answer
168 views

Does the Réti opening continuing to evolve?

"How to win in the chess openings" by I.A. Horowitz states, regarding the Réti opening, that "there is no known way which leads to an advantage for white" which leads to the conclusion that it should ...
  • 215
4 votes
1 answer
186 views

Guide to using a book

I am currently twenty years old. I learned the rules of chess when I was eight and played on and off for a long time. However, I did not take it seriously. Recently after joining chess.com and trying ...
  • 43
4 votes
1 answer
501 views

Which endgame manual?

Which endgame manual do you recommend and why? • Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual • Fundamental Chess Endings (Muller & Lamprecht) • Silman's Complete Endgame Course • Some other book I am ...
  • 529
5 votes
2 answers
3k views

How to use Polyglot opening book bin file

I previously asked how to use polyglot in c# with a chess engine. My question then was not accurate. What I want to know is, what property(ies) of the bin file object I need to do the following: I ...